CHICAGO — Representatives from 28 companies serving the laundry industry gathered here recently as work continued in forming the DataFusion Protocol Committee, the Textile Care Allied Trades Association (TCATA) reports.
The DataFusion initiative is an independent industry effort to design a common language and communications protocol that will enable laundries with different brands of equipment to combine data streams into a unified system, allowing comprehensive real-time analysis of all aspects of production and enhancing operational efficiencies.
The committee is open to all manufacturers of equipment or related products and services to the laundry industry. A Steering Committee of individuals from Chicago Dryer Co., E-Tech, Kannegiesser-USA, Gurtler Industries and Pellerin Milnor Corp. will work to involve all interested parties, TCATA says, and will be announcing official membership requirements.
TCATA called the June 25 meeting’s atmosphere enthusiastic and reported that a show of hands was nearly unanimous for proceeding with the program.
IT technicians and software engineers who reviewed the protocols to be used and expanded indicated that obtaining the protocols or data tags from all manufacturers and chemical suppliers within a short time frame will be their biggest challenge.
An administrative group will focus on business-related issues such as managing the DataFusion trademark and its proper use, and seek input from laundry professionals and operators to join an advisory council to make sure the entire industry has an opportunity to be heard.
“We are very proud to be involved in such a historic, industry-wide effort for data sharing,” the Steering Committee says in a statement. “The available data will make plant operations more efficient. The challenges facing the industry today highlight the need for this real-time information.”
The next DataFusion meeting is planned for Aug. 4-6 during the Textile Rental Services Association’s (TRSA) Joint Committee meetings in Salt Lake City.

About the author

Bruce Beggs is editorial director of American Trade Magazines LLC, including American Coin-Op, American Drycleaner and American Laundry News. He was the editor of American Laundry News from November 1999 to May 2011. Beggs has worked as a newspaper reporter/editor and magazine editor since graduating from Kansas State University in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communications. He and his wife, Sandy, have two children.